Accessibility

It includes information on: 

• What assistance is available and how you can book it
• What to expect from us and our commitment to you 
• What happens when things don't go as planned 

The information on this page accompanies our Accessible Travel Policy which can be found here.

Assistance

Booking and providing assistance

• Assistance with journey planning
• Assistance with boarding and alighting our trains
• Deployment of boarding ramps at Heathrow Airport stations 
• Help and support with arranging transfers between trains and other types of onward transportation
• Assistance with ticket enquiries and advice on station facilities 

• Some help with luggage

Our staff are trained to assist passengers with both visible and non-visible disabilities. Please note we are unable to assist with passenger personal care needs or with the lifting of luggage or items which weigh over 23kg.

Turn up and Go

If you would prefer to pre-book your assistance, this can be done as part of the national Passenger Assist service.

• If you would prefer to pre-book your assistance, this can be done as part of the National Passenger Assist service.
Simply call for free on 0800 197 1329
• Or text relay 18001 0800 197 1329

The minimum notice period for booking assistance through Passenger Assist is 2 hours on the same day you are looking to travel. Booking through Passenger Assist will ensure that assistance is arranged for all parts of your journey from one call.  For information on facilities at the stations you are travelling through you can visit the National Rail Enquiries Assisted Travel pages.

At Heathrow Airport

At Paddington station

What to expect – our commitment to you 

Before you travel

Buying a ticket 

Accessibility is a priority for Heathrow Express. We’d like all our customers to be able to use our service unaided if they wish, and our facilities are designed with that aim in mind.

To give you choice we now offer both a ‘Turn up and Go’ and booked assistance service.

Book your Assistance

We are working on enhancements to our trains and stations to improve the experience for you.

All the stations we serve have step free access and there is level access between the platform and our trains.

At Heathrow, completely step free accessibility is offered when moving between the station platforms and all terminal areas. This includes a step-free interchange by way of lifts when moving between the train station and the London Underground Piccadilly Line station at Terminal 5.  

Paddington Station offers completely step free accessibility when moving between our trains and surrounding areas. When passengers in wheelchairs or mobility scooters are boarding or disembarking, a portable ramp is available to ensure your safe transition between the train and the platform. This is because some platforms at Paddington curve and this creates a gap.

We offer step-free access with the aid of a portable ramp carried aboard every service. If you are travelling with a wheelchair or mobility scooter, our trained onboard and station staff are available to help you onto and off the train with a portable ramp.

Ramps will be deployed by staff who are trained to use them safely and we work in conjunction with our partners at Network Rail and Heathrow Rail to deliver this service. If you will require a ramp to assist with your transition between the train and the platform, just let station staff know as soon as you arrive, and this will be arranged for you. Alternatively, you can use this form to Book your Assistance.

Disabled Persons Railcard discounts are available on tickets purchased from our sales staff at Heathrow, from our ticket machines and from staff on-board our trains. If you hold a Disabled Persons Railcard, please remember to bring it with you to show when purchasing your ticket in person and when travelling with us.

If you are unable to buy a ticket before your journey because our facilities are inaccessible or unavailable, you may purchase without penalty during your journey or at your destination station and continue to benefit from any ticket price reduction to which you are entitled.

Every train has accessible toilets and designated zones where wheelchair users can find space to relax in comfort and safety. Platform-level accessible toilets are also available at all our stations.

For information on how we are making your journey aboard our trains accessible, view our Accessible Travel Policy (also available in large print) and our Making Rail Accessible Leaflet.

For information about facilities and services on our trains and at stations, view our rolling stock and station information pages.

If you need additional support, we offer the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower to anyone with a hidden disability. Our colleagues have been trained to assist those customers who may need extra support - and wearing the Sunflower discreetly indicates this.

If you would like to request a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard when travelling with us, just ask a Heathrow Express or Heathrow colleague who will be happy to help. Find out more about the Sunflower here.

If you think you’ll require any kind of accessibility assistance during your journey and you want to book this in advance then please don’t hesitate to call our team. You just need to let us know up to 2 hours before your journey, within our Assistance Team operating hours (06:00-23:00):

• Use our Online Form
• Call us free on 0800 197 1329
• Dial text relay free on 18001 0800 197 1329

Passenger Assist

Passenger Assist is the national assistance booking system used by national train operating companies to help older and disabled passengers use the rail network. All the train operators work together to provide assistance in planning your rail journey, selling you tickets and getting you onto and from the train, including when you have to change during the journey.

Assistance can be arranged to:

• Help you plan and book your journey
• Talk to other operators about your particular needs, and ensure assistance is available to help you to and from, and on and off your trains
• Meet you and help you navigate around the station
• Assist you to your next train or onward travel option
• Assist with your luggage (weight permitting)
• Arrange alternative transport, for example a taxi, to an appropriate station if any of the stations you wish to use are inaccessible to you
• Arrange transfers to your follow-on transportation system. For example, to a nearby bus stop, taxi rank or the London Underground
• Arrange alternative transport during times of disruption if there is no suitable alternative train service

You can visit the National Rail Enquiries Assisted Travel pages:

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/disabled_passengers.aspx

Where assistance has been booked in advance, our staff will assist you off the train and onto the platform as quickly as possible when you reach your destination, but always within five minutes of arrival.

National Freephone Passenger Assist line

If you would prefer to pre-book your assistance, this can be done as part of the National Passenger Assist service.

You just need to let us know up to 2 hours before your journey, within our Assistance Team operating hours (06:00-23:00).

• Use our Online Form
• Call us free on 0800 197 1329
• Dial text relay free on 18001 0800 197 1329

Railcards and Discounts 

More information on the Disabled Persons Railcard and our tickets and fares can be found on the Disabled Persons Railcard website - https://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/ or from staff at and of the stations we serve, or you can contact our Customer Relations team who would be happy to help.

For travel on Heathrow Express, we offer the following fare discounts to Disabled Persons Railcard holders:

Disabled Persons Railcard discounts are available on tickets purchased from our sales staff at Heathrow, from our ticket machines and from staff on-board our trains. If you hold a Disabled Persons Railcard, please remember to bring it with you to show when purchasing your ticket in person and when travelling with us.

An adult companion travelling with you is also entitled to the same discount. Please note that a full-price Off-Peak or Advance ticket may cost less than a reduced-rate Anytime ticket.

If you are registered as blind or visually impaired and you are travelling with another person, the concessionary discounts apply for both you and your companion. You would not qualify for the discount if you are travelling on your own.

To buy the discounted ticket and to travel, you must show a document confirming your disability. This must be either a CVI/ BP1/BD8 certificate, or documentation from a recognised institution - for example: Social Services, your Local Authority or Blind Veterans UK.

If you are a wheelchair user who cannot leave your wheelchair during the journey, but you do not have a Railcard, you can also obtain the same reduction whether you are travelling with someone or on your own. An adult companion travelling with you is also entitled to the same discount.

Not all older people qualify for a Disabled Persons Railcard, but you could qualify for a Senior Railcard based on your age. A Senior Railcard entitles you to save 1/3 on rail fares for a year.

More information can be found on the Senior Railcard website : 

https://www.senior-railcard.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_7-Y7qnh7AIVCLrtCh3TKQLbEAAYASAAEgJ7xvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds 

Passenger Journey Information

We know how important it is that you have the most up to date information to enable you to enjoy a stress-free journey so we shall ensure that our station partners keep information screens updated in the event of delays and disruption. We shall also keep our Twitter page updated so you can make an informed travel choice.

During planned engineering works we will ensure that our website is updated in advance and inform you of alternative travel options. Where we know of planned disruption to our services that will affect your journey, we will do all we can to notify you in advance. Where we have your contact details and permission to contact you, we would notify you by text message or email with replacement travel information or to make alternative arrangements with you.

Our staff at stations and on-board trains will do their best to communicate any information on delays or service disruption to you that will affect your journey. Where our trains are moved to alternative platforms at short notice, display screens will be updated, and announcements will be made to inform you. Our platform staff at Paddington and our station partners at Heathrow will guide and assist you in getting to the new platform so that you can take the service you want to.

Where we know of planned disruption to our services that will affect your journey, we will do all we can to notify you in advance. Where we have your contact details and permission to contact you, we would notify you by text message or email with replacement travel information or to make alternative arrangements with you. We also update our website and app with the latest service information and ensure that planned disruption information is advertised on our homepage at www.heathrowexpress.com at the earliest opportunity.

Use of powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters

Passengers who use manual and powered wheelchairs or mobility scooters are welcome to bring them onto the trains. There are some guidelines that we would like to advise you of to enable you to travel safely. 

When on the platforms, please observe the following guidance: 

• Lower the speed of your scooter to walking pace. 
• Make sure you stay behind the yellow line and clear of platform edges until the train has come to a complete stop and is ready for boarding. 
• Unload any bags from your wheelchair or scooter as this could cause it to tip when going up / down ramps. 
• Even if the platforms are level, there can still be a gap between the train and the platform edge. Be aware of the gap and seek assistance from a member of staff on the platform if you are concerned and need assistance. 
• For your own safety and the safety of other passengers, please follow any instructions given by Heathrow Express or partner staff.

In the event of service disruption, we will arrange alternative transport for you and your wheelchair or mobility scooter whilst considering your personal needs. 

As per our commitment to assist with luggage, our staff will be happy to assist you with wheelchair or mobility scooter stowage if it is safe to do so. If you, or someone travelling with you, is not able to manoeuvre or lift the wheelchair or mobility scooter yourself then it is advisable to book assistance at Paddington or Heathrow to avoid a delay to your journey. 

If our staff are unable to manoeuvre or lift your wheelchair or mobility scooter, then we will request the support of the station’s passenger assistance team. This may delay your journey, but we will be happy to accommodate you on the next available service.

Wheelchairs

We can accommodate manual and powered wheelchairs in wheelchair spaces on our trains which meet the following technical criteria:

• Width does not exceed 700mm or 27.5 inches.
• Length does not exceed 1200mm or 47 inches.
• Height does not exceed 1375mm or 54 inches, including seated occupant.
• Fully laden weight does not exceed 300kg or 441 lbs. for the wheelchair and the passenger (including any luggage). 

Mobility Scooters 

We can accommodate mobility scooters on our trains. If you are able to do so, we do ask you to collapse your scooter on the platform prior to boarding the train and to store the scooter in the luggage racks where possible so that the scooter can be safely secured for the journey. You can then enjoy your journey in one of our train seats. Priority seating is available. 

If you are not able to transfer from your mobility scooter and need to remain in it for your journey, then our staff will be happy to assist with this to ensure your journey is comfortable. We do ask that you ensure the brake is deployed and the scooter is powered off for the journey. 

We can accommodate mobility scooters in wheelchair spaces on our trains and which meet the following technical criteria

For safety reasons and due to weight limitations on our trains we are unable to accommodate scooters on our trains which fall outside these technical requirements. with this to ensure your journey is comfortable.

Accessible Travel Policy documents in an accessible format

Our Accessible Travel Policy document and our Accessible Travel Leaflet are available on our website www.heathrowexpress.com. Copies are available from all the stations that we serve, you can request a copy from any Heathrow Express staff member. You can also contact our Customer Relations team who would be happy to send you a copy at no charge to you.

Our Accessible Travel Leaflet is available in other formats such as Braille, large print or audio and we will send one to you free of charge within seven days of the request being made to our Customer Relations team. 

Copies of both our Accessible Travel Policy and Leaflet are also available from our sales counters located within the Heathrow Airport terminals.

If you are blind or partially sighted, you can use screen reading equipment to view our website. Please note this will depend on the browser you are using as not all are compatible.

Details on the availability of redress for when assistance has not been delivered as booked

If you pre-booked assistance through one of our partners and they were responsible for your service failure, then you may be entitled to compensation. You can contact them directly or we can liaise with them on your behalf and provide you with a full response and any mitigation we intend to take as a result of the failed service.

Assistance failures at Heathrow Airport 

For assistance booked at Heathrow Airport, please contact +44 (0) 208 757 2700 (24-hour service). 

If you would like for us to liaise with our partners on your behalf, you can contact us in the following ways:

Customer Query and Feedback Form

The quickest way to contact us is our Customer Query and Feedback Form on our website https://www.heathrowexpress.com/about-us/contact-us# where we are obliged to respond to your query within 20 working days.

When completing the form, choose ‘complaint’ in the query drop down.

By Phone

You can contact our Customer Relations Department on: +44 (0) 345 600 1515.

(09:00-17:30hrs GMT Monday-Sunday). Calls from the UK to this number are charged at the local rate. Costs from international networks may vary.

By Post

Freepost HEATHROW EXPRESS Customer Relations Department

Please include an email address and contact phone number in your letter to enable us to contact you about your query.

By International Post

Heathrow Express Customer Relations Department

United Kingdom

Please include an email address and contact phone number in your letter to enable us to contact you about your query.

Via Social Media

You can contact us on Twitter @HeathrowExpress or via Facebook.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome, we will refer your case to the independent body, London Travel Watch who can mediate your redress grievance.

Where assistance was not provided due to train delays, you may be able to claim under our delayed train refund policy. Please contact our Customer Relations team for assistance. You will not be able to claim for both, but our team will be happy to advise you on the best action for your redress claim.